Labyrinth Guards
by TatraMegami
Summary: “And here we have the Labyrinth guards. One always lies, one always tells the truth, and one stabs people who ask tricky questions.” - xkcd 246 AU, but spoilers for first midseason finale.


A/N: So, I was watching Peter's facial expressions on a repeat of the midseason finale and a thought occurred to me. So, I wrote it out and it's my new shiny fic. :D Hope you enjoy!

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Labyrinth Puzzle

"And here we have the Labyrinth guards. One always lies, one always tells the truth, and one stabs people who ask tricky questions." - xkcd number 246

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Neal was breathing hard when he slammed his way into Peter's home office. "Where's Kate?" Neal demanded as he inspected the room, as if Kate were simply hiding under the lampshade.

"Who?" Peter blinked curiously at Neal. He looked completely innocent, but Neal wasn't falling for that again.

"You know who I'm talking about. I know that you have her; I saw Fowler and I know that you're involved in something," Neal said, striding over to the desk. He glared at Peter, "Tell me what Mentor is."

"Is? Don't you mean whom?" Peter dropped the innocent act and his face transformed, looking darkly at Neal.

"Whom?" Neal asked, backing up a step.

"Yes, the Mentor is a person, not a thing; although, if you want to be technical." Peter smirked at Neal. "As to where your wayward girl is; I sent her home where both you and she will be safe."

"Home? Safe?" Neal spluttered out, thoroughly confused. "You have no authority over Kate!"

"On the contrary, I have every authority over her. I sent her back for a good reason, you know." Peter leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers behind his head. "It was getting dangerous for the two of you."

"You're the only one making things dangerous, you and whoever the Mentor is," Neal spat at Peter, remembering his anger.

Peter laughed at that, removing his hands from behind his head and dropping them back down onto the desk. Neal noticed the ring on Peter's finger and his glare strengthened. "There are people out there who wish to torture you and kill you, Neal, and we really don't want that to happen."

"What?" Neal stumbled back in shock. "The thing Kate kept talking about," he murmured.

"Yes, you have something that they want and they will do anything to get it. Kate will be safe where she is and you can see her when the threat goes away," Peter replied.

"You mean, once I hand over whatever it is that the Mentor wants?" Neal asked with a dry chuckle.

"True." Peter tilted his head in acknowledgment.

"I can't do that; I have no idea what it is or why he wants it. Peter," Neal approached the desk again and braced himself with his arms to lean down to look the agent in the eye, "who is the Mentor?"

"Are you sure you want to know?" Peter raised an eyebrow.

"Tell me," Neal demanded, almost growling.

"You shouldn't tease him like that," Elizabeth said as she entered the room.

Neal backed off of Peter and turned so that he could see Elizabeth. "You know what is going on?"

"I know enough; we haven't had a chance to talk just yet," Elizabeth answered. She walked over to Peter and put her arm around his shoulders. "I think it's time to come clean. Neal, Peter is the Mentor."

"What?" Neal gasped, staring at them, horrified. "You mean that you're really behind all of this? I didn't believe that it was possible."

"You thought I was working with someone?" Peter smirked, but this time it looked more like the patented 'got one over on Caffrey' look than the creepy look he had going for him before.

"You're too," Neal stammered as he tried to come up with something, "You're too FBI to be a criminal mastermind!"

"Think of it like this, there are two doors in the labyrinth and there are two guards; one always lies and the other always tells the truth," Peter's expression shifted towards the darker look, "and one guard to stab people who ask tricky questions."

"I suppose that would be me," Elizabeth said with a laugh.

"It's not quite as cut and dried with us," Peter paused and leaned forward, back to the light faced man, "what I'm trying to say is that Peter is the good guy, the FBI agent; the Mentor is the dark one, the criminal mastermind. Two minds, same body."

"What?" Neal found himself repeating before his mind caught up with him. "You mean, split personalities?"

"Peter had a," Elizabeth paused, searching for the correct words, "difficult childhood and the Mentor came out of that in order to protect him. Things really aren't as bad as you think and the Mentor is only trying to find the best solution."

"The best solution?" Neal spluttered. "The best solution is driving Kate away and keeping her from me? Just how is that the best solution?"

"No one dies." Peter sighed. "The Mentor didn't come from a nice group. It's a bit reformed now, but it's still not a nice group. And Kate, Kate grew up in that world."

"Kate came from a normal life," Neal protested.

Peter raised his eyebrow at him, but Neal refused to break down. "And is that why you didn't reveal where your stash is? Face it, you don't trust her and that is why this has drawn out as long as it has." The harsh edge was back again and Neal guessed that this was the Mentor talking.

"I don't trust anyone, and for good reason." Neal stared coldly at Peter. Even if it was something out of Peter's control, that still didn't change the fact that the agent had kept it from him, kept Kate from him, for so long. He might not have told Kate the right location, but he did put some form of trust in her and she had broken it. He was right in not trusting anyone; and his head straightened at the thought.

"Come on, let's go get some hot chocolate," Elizabeth said as she stepped away from her husband. She put her arm around Neal's back and led him out of the room, sending a look to Peter before they were out of the room. The look obviously told Peter not to follow, because the man remained in the office as the two of them entered the living room.

Elizabeth pushed him towards the couch and Neal slumped down in it. She continued on into the kitchen and he could soon hear the sounds of her putting the hot chocolate together. He fiddled with his hat as he turned everything around in his mind. Peter had a split personality and he was the one behind Kate's disappearance.

The thing that annoyed him the most wasn't Peter's control over Kate, or that the agent never told him. No, it was the other's name: the Mentor; it was the smuggest name that he ever heard and it reminded him of some cheesy villain. Peter never could be a cheesy villain, split personality or not. Then again, he had heard good things about the new Doctor Who…


End file.
